Contest Opens for American Muslim Films

An online film contest boasting celebrity judges, including actor Danny Glover and Mariane Pearl, is calling for entries that tell of the American Muslim experience. The “One Nation, Many Voices” competition started taking submissions on Tuesday of films lasting five minutes or less. The winner will be awarded a $20,000 cash prize as well as a debut on Link TV.

The contest aims to bring attention to experiences that show what all Americans have in common and to challenge stereotypes, the event’s promoters said.

“For all of us living in the U.S., there’s certainly more that unites us than separates us,” said Kim Spencer, president of news and culture channel Link TV. The channel is sponsoring the competition along with One Nation, a collaborative that seeks to use the media to challenge stereotypes of Muslims. Categories include drama, comedy, documentary, and animation/music. There are also separate categories for films of one minute or less and videos produced by youth. Entries must be submitted by Nov. 25.

Viewers have until Nov. 30 to vote online to select the finalists, which will then be evaluated by a panel of judges.

Pearl is the widow of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists while reporting for the Wall Street Journal in Pakistan in 2002. “A Mighty Heart,” the film about her ordeal after the kidnapping, opened in June.